Design a 3D Printed Lampshade in Autodesk Fusion CAD Software

I Visualized This Workflow While Falling Asleep—And It’s Perfect for Epic 3D-Printed Products

Ever have a burst of inspiration just before falling asleep? That’s how this workflow came to life. After testing it, I’m excited to share this method for creating a stunning 3D-printed lampshade. Let’s dive in.

Step 1: Establish Your Foundation

Start by turning your first sketch line into a construction line. Set its height to 140 mm—a handy reference for your lampshade’s height. Then, offset two additional construction lines: one at 25 mm for the top width and another for the bottom width of the lampshade.

Step 2: Sketch Your Guiding Lines

Switch off the construction line settings. Sketch a new horizontal line, 15 mm from the top of your vertical line. Next, add another horizontal line in the middle of your vertical line. Use the mirror tool to duplicate it, ensuring equal spacing at the bottom of your lampshade.

Pro tip: In the sketch environment, you’ll see two mirror options. Select the one that appears hollow—that’s the right choice.

Step 3: Create the Lampshade Curve

Use the Fit Point Spline tool to connect the top and bottom widths. Limit your spline to four dots for cleaner control. Adjust the curve’s control points and handles to refine it. If any control points are locked by automatic constraints, simply remove those constraints for free adjustments.

Step 4: Prepare for Surface Modeling

Sketch an angled line to create a pattern around the lampshade. Set its angle to 70 degrees. While a closed profile will automatically appear, extend the line slightly at the bottom for easier sketching.

Use the Surface Modeling Revolve tool and select your Fit Point Spline as the profile. For the axis, choose the central axis just above the origin. Keeping your design’s origin at the center simplifies everything.

Set the thickness to 3 mm to convert your surface model into a solid model. Turn on the visibility of the top and bottom horizontal sketch lines. Then, use the Surface Modeling Extrude tool to extend them symmetrically. This saves time and ensures a clean design.

Step 5: Split the Lampshade for Flexibility

The purpose of these surfaces is to split your body into three parts. This lets you make significant modifications to the middle section while keeping smooth connections to the top and bottom sections.

Hide the top surface temporarily to make working with the angled line easier. Extrude the 70-degree line long enough to thicken it without interfering with the geometry. Again, set the thickness to 3 mm for consistency.

Turn off the visibility of the top and bottom lampshade bodies. Over-extrude the angled line through the lampshade, and set the operation type to "Intersect" instead of "Join." This ensures the top and bottom remain intact.

Step 6: Mirror and Refine

After the extrude-intersect operation, mirror the resulting body using the blue vertical axis above the origin. Don’t worry if one part looks too long; it’s just an optical illusion caused by the intersected body.

Now, turn the visibility of the top and bottom sections back on. The design is nearly complete.

Step 7: Apply Appearances

Apply appearances to your model before creating the pattern. Choose a material and adjust its color using RGB or Hex codes for a custom look. Duplicate the color and apply it to other bodies if you’re working on a multi-color design. Multi-color 3D prints are not only fun but can add extra value for potential customers.

Step 8: Create the Circular Pattern

Hide the underlying surface models. Use the circular pattern tool to complete your design, selecting the vertical axis above the origin as your axis. This workflow produces an intricate lampshade pattern with multiple parts. Adding appearances earlier helps minimize contact points, enhancing the final look.

Step 9: Final Touches

This lampshade design looks stunning from every angle, transforming a simple sketch into a complex and beautiful product. If you’re inspired, check out the original video that influenced this design for a different workflow.

Bonus Tips

Explore multi-color 3D printing—it’s an exciting way to elevate your designs. And if you enjoyed this tutorial, consider subscribing to The Maker Letters on YouTube. I’m passionate about Fusion and love sharing my journey with you. Don’t forget to check the video description for extra resources, discounts, and deals.

Happy 3D modeling, and I’ll see you in the next tutorial!